Table



Oct. 4, 1966 R. D. WINTER TABLE Filed Sept. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1MBH3 Z2 H B H H INVENTOR.

g R '36 BYRUGEI"? D W/NTE H [4H z 4 l2 A TTOR/VEY Oct. 4, 1966 3, WINTER3,276,402

TABLE Filed Sept. 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROGER D. W/IVTERATTORNEY United States Patent 3,276,402 TABLE Roger D. Winter, Denver,Colo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Samsonite Corporation, Denver,Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Sept. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 394,527 2Claims. (Cl. 108--115) This invention relates to a table, and moreparticularly to a circular table having folding legs, such as a cardtable.

Considerable problems are encountered in constructing a satisfactoryfolding leg arrangement for circular card tables having a diameter lessthan that which will accommodate a sequential rectangular configurationof the legs when folded. Since the legs must fit within the confines ofthe table diameter, yet must be long enough to support the table at theproper height, such problems are encountered when the table height is 28inches, for instance, and the outer diameter of the table is less than42 inches, i.e. the outer diameter of the table is less than one andonehalf times the table height. If the hinges for the legs are equallyspaced around the table, so that the legs are folded sequentially to asquare configuration, with the end of one leg adjacent the hinge ofanother leg, the legs cannot be of sufiicient length to support thetable at the right height in a table having a diameter less than theabove, since not only the depending rim of the table must beaccommodated, but also the hinge structure for each leg, which normallyadds about 1 /2 inches to the leg length when folded. One solution tothis problem is to hinge the legs to the table so that they foldinwardly toward the center, with opposite legs offset sufiiciently thatthey lie next to each other when in folded position. However, one pairof legs will necessarily overlap the other pair of legs on the undersideof the table, which produces a problem in locking the legs in position.Also, if the user does not fold the correct pair of legs next to thetable first, the other pair of legs will not fold properly. In thatevent, the legs must be raised again and folded properly. In thealternative, sufficient clearance can be provided in the latch so thateither pair of legs can be folded inwardly first, but with thisarrangement, there is a looseness or slack produced in the latch whichmay cause the table to wobble when upright. In addition, it is thenimpossible to brace the table top by any supports extending across theunderside of the table, since the entire area must be open toaccommodate the folding legs.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide a novel legarrangement for a circular card table having a diameter of less thanthat which will accommodate the legs folded in a sequential squarerelation; to provide such a card table in which the legs may be made ofsufficient length to support the table at proper height when open; toprovide such a table in which the four legs may be folded to closedposition in any sequence; to provide such a table in which looseness orslack in the latching arrangement, to accommodate folding of the legs,is avoided; to provide such a table in which a cross brace may beprovided across the underside of the table without interferring with theoperation of the legs; and to provide such a table which is relativelysimple in construction, yet highly eflicient in operation.

Additional objects and the novel features will become apparent from thedescription which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a circular card table constructed inaccordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the circular card table of FIG. 1, buttaken at 90 therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the circular card table of thisinvention, with the legs in folded position;

3,276,402 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 FIG. 4 is a side elevation of thecircular card table with the legs in folded position;

FIG. 5 in an offset section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3, showing theposition of the legs when folded;

FIG. 6 is an offset section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3, showing thecross brace construction;

FIG. 7 is a section through the edge of the circular card table, on anenlarged scale and taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a diagram, on a reduced scale, of the leg arrangement when thelegs are in upright position.

In accordance with this invention, the legs are hinged to fold in pairsacross opposite chords of the card table on the underside thereof, withadjacent legs being offset slightly so that they lie alongside eachother in closed position and the legs, when unfolded, being at the fourcorners of a rhombus, rather than at the four corners of a square. Thisconstruction is exemplified by a card table T, the outer diameter ofwhich is provided with a circular top panel 10 which may be less than 42inches in diameter and the height of which may be 28 inches from thefloor, in the position of FIGS. 1 and 2. The lightweight card tables incommon use are necessarily restricted in their diameter while the heightof the legs must be maintained, and accordingly, the card table of thedimensions set forth may also be generally described as having anoverall diameter which does not exceed, and is usually less than, 1.5times the height. The table is supported by four legs 11, 12, 13 and 14,which are pivotally attached thereto by hinges H H H and H the legsbeing pivotal about hinge pins located at centerlines 15, 16, 17 and 18of FIG. 3, respectively. When in upright position, each leg 11, 12, 13and 14 is conveniently inclined outwardly from top to bottom for greaterstability of the table when in use, such as at an angle of about 3 withrespect to each vertical plane, as in FIGS. 1 and 2. The hinges H H Hand H may be of conventional construction and provided with suitablelatches to hold the legs in both open and closed position, such as eachincluding a hollow base 20, containing the pivot pin, an extension 21 ofthe base by which the base is secured to the underside of the table top,a hollow, spring pressed bushing 22 movably mounted on the leg, and acam and latch plate 23 which automatically engages the bushing to lock aleg in upright position or against the table top, when a leg is moved tosuch position, the bushing being moved away from the cam plate forrelease. Other suitable hinges and latching devices may, of course, beutilized. When in folded position, the legs are partly concealed by aperipheral rim 25 which may be attached to the underside of the tabletop 10 by a plurality of interspaced larger brackets 26 and smallerbrackets 27. Each bracket 26 and 27 may be attached to the top of thetable, as in FIGS. 3 and 7, by means of one or more countersunk rivets28, while each bracket may be attached to the peripheral rim 25 by meansof a self-locking bolt 29. The table top may be provided with a covering30, as in FIGS. 57, of fabric, plastic or other suitable material.

In accordance with this invention, leg 11 is attached to the undersideof table top 10 by hinge H adjacent rim 21, as in FIG. 3, and is adaptedto fold so as to extend across a chord of the table, as shown. Leg 12 isattached to the underside of top 10 by hinge H spaced inwardly from leg11 and mounted adjacent the end thereof when the latter is in foldedposition, so that leg 12 will lie alongside leg 11 when it is in foldedposition, but will extend in the opposite direction. Similarly, hinge H,for leg 14 is attached to the underside of top 10 adjacent rim 21 sothat leg 14- may be folded inwardly along a chord on the opposite sideof the table, but parallel to legs 11 and 12, while leg 13 is attachedby hinge H, to the underside of the table top adjacent but inwardly fromthe end of leg the case of the rhombus 36 illustrated in FIG. 8.

'not affect the stability of the table.

3 14 when the latter is in folded position, so that leg 14 foldsparallel to and alongside leg 13, but extends in the opposite direction.Thus, when the legs are in folded position, they are in a generallyrectangular arrangement, i.e., the spacing between hinges H and H orhinges H and H is less than the spacing between hinge pin centerlinesand 16 or 17 and 18, as will be evident in FIG. 4. When the legs are inupright position, as in FIGS. 1 and '2, they will be disposed at thecorners of a square, as in the usual arrangement, but rather at thecorners of a rhombus whose acute and obtuse angles may be fairly closeto an angle of 90 and whose longer sides are only slightly greater inlength than the shorter sides, as in As will be evident, this variationfrom a square arrangement will With this arrangement, it does not makeany difference which leg is first folded inwardly, since each leg may befolded flat against the underside of the table top; thus, it is notnecessary to provide any ltooseness or play in the hinge and lockarrangement to accommodate the folding of one leg on top of another. Inaddition, the table may be reinforced by a center brace 31 extendingdiagonally across the table, as shown, attached at each end to theinside of rim in any suitable manner, as by welding, and attached to theunderside of the top at the center thereof by an angle bracket 32, inturn attached to the underside of the table top by a countersunk rivet33 and to brace 31 by a self locking bolt 34. Of course, brace 31 may beparallel to the legs or at a lesser angle to them than shown, ifdesired.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the objects and requirementshereinbefore set forth have been fulfilled to a marked degree. Acircular taJble having a diameter of less than the critical diameternecessary to accommodate the legs in a sequential folding arrangementhas been provided, in which all the legs fold flat against the undersideof the table, through legs arranged ,in parallel pairs with the hingesof the legs of opposite pairs being closer together than the hinges ofthe legs of the same pair.

Alhtough a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustratedand described, it will be understood that other embodiments may existand that various changes and variations may be made, without departingfrom the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A circular table having folding legs adapted to fold against theundersurface of the table, and comprising:

a circular top having a peripheral depending rim and a top support braceextending diametrically across the undersurface of the top, with itsends extending substantially to diametrically opposing portions of therim;

a rectangular array of hinges on the undersurface of the table top andadjacent to the rim, with two diagonally opposing hinges being adjacentto and on opposite sides of the support brace, whereby the brace isoriented substantially on a diagonal with respect to the rectangulararray of hinges and with the other two diagonally opposing hinges beingremote from the brace;

a leg pivotally mounted upon each hinge and being adapted to swing froma first position depending from the top surface to support the table andto a second position against the undersurfa-ce of the table when folded,said legs being arranged in opposing pairs at each side of the supportbrace and with the legs of each pair being adapted to fold alongsideeach other when folded against the underside of the table, with the endof each leg being adjacent to the hinge of the other leg; and

the leg of each pair which is remote from the support brace being foldedagainst the table outwardly from the leg of the pair which is adjacentto the support brace, whereby to permit a maximum possible length oflegs without the folded end of a leg remote from the brace lying overthe brace.

2. In the table set forth in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the tableis less than 1.5 times the height of the table when supported by thelegs and the spacing between each hinge of each said pair of legs isgreater than the spacing between the said pair of legs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 240,301 4/ 1881Buss 108-115 1,215,479 2/ 1917 Burrowes 108-127 1,636,912 7/1927 Johnson108-129 1,820,592 8/1931 Bauer 108-125 1,879,649 9/1932 Wilkinson 1081152,147,972 2/1939 Edwards 108133 2,660,497 11/1953 Niorquist 1081272,970,024 1/1961 Urban 108--160 2,977,169 3/1961 Geller 108127 3,125,9713/1964 Wetherill 108-125 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CIRCULAR TABLE HAVING FOLDING LEGS ADAPTED TO FOLD AGAINST THEUNDERSURFACE OF THE TABLE, AND COMPRISING: A CIRCULAR TOP HAVING APERIPHERAL DEPENDING RIM AND TO TOP SUPPORT BRACE EXTENDINGDIAMETRICALLY ACROSS THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE TOP, WITH ITS ENDSEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSING PORTIONS OF THE RIM; ARECTANGULAR ARRAY OF HINGES ON THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE TABLE TOP ANDADJACENT TO THE RIM, WITH TWO DIAGONALLY OPPOSING HINGES BEING ADJACENTTO AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SUPPORT BRACE, WHEREBY THE BRACE ISORIENTED SUBSTANTIALLY ON A DIAGONAL WITH RESPECT TO THE RECTANGULARARRAY OF HINGES AND WITH THE OTHER TWO DIAGONALLY OPPOSING HINGES BEINGREMOTE FROM THE BRACE; A LEG PIVOTALLY MOUNTED UPON EACH HINGE AND BEINGADAPTED TO SWING FROM A FIRST POSITION DEPENDING FROM THE TOP SURFACE TOSUPPORT THE TABLE AND TO A SECOND POSITION AGAINST THE UNDERSURFACE OFTHE TABLE WHEN FOLDED, SAID LEGS BEING ARRANGED IN OPPOSING PAIRS ATEACH SIDE OF THE SUPPORT BRACE AND WITH THE LEGS OF EACH PAIR BEINGADAPTED TO FOLD ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER WHEN FOLDED AGAINST THE UNDERSIDEOF THE TABLE, WITH THE END OF EACH LEG BEING ADJACENT TO THE HINGE OFTHE OTHER LEG; AND THE LEG EACH PAIR WHICH IS REMOTE FROM THE SUPPORTBRACE BEING FOLDED AGAINST THE TABLE OUTWARDLY FROM THE LEG OF THE PAIRWHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE SUPPORT BRACE, WHEREBY TO PERMIT A MAXIMUMPOSSIBLE LENGTH OF LEGE WITHOUT THE FOLDED END OF A LEG REMOTE FROM THEBRACE LYING OVER THE BRACE.